SkillSoft Offers Availability of Mentoring Services Through Third-Party Learning Management Systems

January 14, 2005

The availability of mentoring services — which include 24×7 on-line chats, study aids, and test preparations — through third-party learning management systems gives learners the ability to access any mentoring service through the LMS. For instance, a learner can access an online chat to quickly clarify a point in a related course or receive a daily email to keep certification study on track. Previously, mentoring services were available only to customers using SkillPort(TM), SkillSoft’s learning management platform.

SkillSoft’s mentoring services support project managers, programmers, system engineers, system administrators, security technicians, database administrators, web designers, and end users. Examples of the supported certifications include: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD), Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), CompTIA A+, CompTIA Security +, Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), and Project Management Professional (PMP).

“Comprised of long-term SkillSoft employees, our mentoring team is unique in the learning industry,” said Lee Ritze, senior vice president of marketing and corporate development. “According to our clients, the team has helped thousands of professionals successfully and efficiently complete certification processes. The mentoring toolkit for third-party LMSs now makes these proven collaboration and support services available to a much wider audience of learners.”

SkillSoft has completed preliminary testing of the mentoring toolkit on product offerings from charter members of SAIL, the SkillSoft Alliance for Integrated Learning program that promotes seamless integration among learning content resources, learning management systems, and other learning technologies. SAIL members include Oracle, Pathlore, Plateau, Saba, SumTotal Systems, and THINQ. SkillSoft’s interoperability lab is now in the process of final integration verification on these major LMS systems.

“Project management and IT certifications are important to many companies today. This toolkit is in direct response to input we’ve received from our executive advisory board and client surveys,” said Scott Trumpower, manager of SkillSoft’s technology partnership strategy. According to Trumpower, the implementation of the toolkit is designed to require minimal development effort on the part of third-party LMS providers or customers.

The mentoring toolkit is available for a standard annual license fee. Mentoring services can be accessed for no additional costs by licensed learners of SkillSoft’s IT and project management course collections. For a demonstration, call 877-545-5763 or visit http://www.skillsoft.com.

About SkillSoft
SkillSoft is a leading provider of comprehensive e-learning content and technology products for business and IT professionals within the Global 2000. SkillSoft’s multi-modal learning solutions support and enhance the speed and effectiveness of both formal and informal learning processes and integrate SkillSoft’s in-depth content resources, learning management platform, virtual classroom technology and support services.

Content offerings include SkillSoft’s business and IT skills courseware collections; ITPro(TM), BusinessPro(TM), FinancePro(TM), EngineeringPro(TM), OfficeEssentials(TM), and ExecSummaries(TM) Referenceware(R) collections by Books24x7(R); and health and safety compliance courseware by GoTrain. SkillSoft’s complementary technologies include SkillPort(R), the company’s learning management platform with its powerful Search-and-Learn capabilities, and SkillSoft(R) Dialogue(TM), the company’s newly introduced virtual classroom offering with associated tools for blended learning solutions. For more information, visit http://www.skillsoft.com.

All rights reserved. SkillSoft, the SkillSoft logo, Ahead of the Learning Curve, SkillPort, Search-and-Learn, SkillChoice, Books24x7, Referenceware, ITPro, BusinessPro, OfficeEssentials, EngineeringPro, ExecSummaries, Express Guide and Dialogue are trademarks or registered trademarks of SkillSoft PLC in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


Contact:
Linda Galloway
Apollo Associates LLC
203 790 1591
lgalloway@apolloassociates.com